1. Introduction
Our school’s curriculum consists of all the planned activities that we organise in order to promote learning, and personal growth and development. It includes not only the formal requirements of the National Curriculum, but also the various extra-curricular activities that the school organises in order to enrich the children’s experience. It also includes the “hidden curriculum” – what the children learn from the way they are treated and expected to behave. We want children to grow into positive, responsible people, who can work and cooperate with others while at the same time developing their knowledge and skills, in order to achieve their true potential.
As stated in our school aims we aim to encourage our students: to achieve their highest level of academic success, by utilising the best of the British educational system set in an international environment, and to also prepare our young people for adult life by encouraging traditional values and by fostering self assurance, mutual respect and a sense of duty.
2. Values
2. 1 Our school curriculum is underpinned by the values that we hold dear at our school. The curriculum is the means by which the school achieves its objective of educating children in the knowledge, skills and understanding that they need in order to lead fulfilling lives.
2.2 Our school is in full agreement with the values statement included in the introduction to the National Curriculum Handbook for Primary Teachers in England. These are the main values of our school, upon which we have based our curriculum:
- We value children’s uniqueness, we listen to the views of individual children, and we promote respect for diverse cultures.
- We value the spiritual and moral development of each person, as well as their intellectual and physical growth.
- We value the importance of each person in our community, and we organise our curriculum to promote inclusion, cooperation and understanding among all members of our community.
- We value the rights enjoyed by each person in our society. We respect each child in our school for who they are, and we treat them with fairness and honestly. We want to enable each person to be successful, and we provide equal opportunities for all our pupils.
- We will strive to meet the needs of all our children, and to ensure that we provide inclusion for all.
- We value our environment, and we want to teach our pupils, through our curriculum, how we should take care of the world, not only for ourselves, but also for future generations.
3. Aims
3.1 The aims of our school curriculum are:
- To enable all children to learn, and develop their skills, to the best of their ability;
- To promote a positive attitude towards learning, so that children enjoy coming to school, and acquire a solid base for lifelong learning;
- To teach children the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT);
- To enable children to be creative and to develop their own thinking;
- To teach children about the developing world, including how their environment and society have changed over time;
- To appreciate and value the contribution made by all ethnic groups in our multi-cultural society;
- To enable children to be positive citizens;
- To fulfill all the requirements of the National Curriculum;
- To teach children to have an awareness of their own spiritual development, and to distinguish right from wrong;
- To help children understand the importance of truth and fairness, so that they grow up committed to equal opportunities for all;
- To enable children to have respect for themselves as well as high esteem, and to live and work cooperatively with others.
4. Organisation and Planning
4.1 We plan our curriculum in three phases. We agree a long-term plan for each key stage. This indicates which topics are to be taught in each term, and to which groups of children. We review this long-term plan on an annual basis.
4.2 Through our medium-term plan we give clear guidance on the objectives and teaching strategies for each topic. As we have adopted the national Literacy and Numeracy Strategies for our school, we base our medium-term planning from the guidance documents. We also use the QCA schemes of work for much of our medium-term planning in the foundation subjects adapting them where necessary.
4.3 Our short-term plans are those that our teachers write on a weekly or daily basis. We use these to set out the learning objectives for each session, and to identify what resources and activities we are going to use in the lesson.
4.4 In the Foundation Stage, we adopt a topic approach to curriculum planning. We plan the curriculum carefully, so that there is coherent and full coverage of all aspects of the Early Learning Goals, and there is planned progression in all curriculum areas.
4.5 In Key stage 1 we try to continue to teach the subjects in a cross curricular way, so that the children can see the links within their learning. Literacy and Numeracy are taught daily, and although they do incorporate other subject areas, they are both given a main focus. In Key stage 2 we teach the foundation subjects separately. This means that, for example, a child may concentrate in one project on a history topic, and then switch to a greater emphasis on geography in the next. Thus, in due course, each child has the opportunity to experience the full range of National Curriculum subjects.
5. The Curriculum and Inclusion
5.1 The curriculum is designed to be accessed by all children who attend the school. If we think it necessary to modify some children’s access to the curriculum, in order to meet their needs, then we do this only after their parents have been consulted. For example, children who enter the school with no English or Spanish may receive extra sessions in that language during lesson time.
5.2 If children have special needs, our school does all it can to meet the individual needs. If a child displays signs of having special needs then his/her teacher is able to provide the resources and educational opportunities that meet the child’s needs, within normal class organisation. If a child’s need is more severe, we involve the designated Special Needs staff, and they will do an assessment on the child, and discuss results with the class teacher and the parents. We always provide additional resources and support for children with special needs. (See Special Needs policy).
6. The Foundation Stage
6.1 The curriculum that we teach in the Early Years classes meets the requirements set out in the revised National Curriculum for the Foundation Stage. Our curriculum planning focuses on the Early Learning Goals, as set out in these documents, and on developing children’s skills and experiences.
6.2 Our school fully supports the principle that young children learn through play, and by engaging in well-planned and structured activities.
6.3 In the Early Years classes the teacher will assess the skills development of each child, and record this in the Foundation Stage profile. This assessment forms an important part of the future curriculum planning for each child.
6.4 We are well aware that all children need the support of both parents and teachers to make good progress in school. We strive to build positive links with the parents of each child, by keeping them informed about how the children are being taught, and how well each child is progressing.
7. The role of the subject leader
7.1 The role of the subject leader is to:
- Provide a strategic lead and direction for the subject;
- Support and advise colleagues on issues related to the subject;
- Monitor pupil’s progress in that subject area;
- Provide efficient resource management for the subject.
7.2 Subject leaders have non-contact time, so that they can carry out their duties. It is a role of each subject leader to keep up to date with developments in their subject, at both national and local level. They review the way the subject is taught in the school, and plan for improvement. This development planning links to whole-school objectives. Each subject leader reviews the curriculum plans for the subject, ensures that there is full coverage of the National Curriculum, and sees that progression is planned into schemes of work.
8. Monitoring and Review
8.1 The Key Stage Coordinators are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day organisation of the curriculum, and monitor the weekly lesson plans on a termly basis for all teachers; the subject leaders also monitor Maths and English ensuring that all classes are taught the full requirements of the National Curriculum, and that all lessons have appropriate learning objectives.
8.2 Subject leaders monitor the way their subject is taught throughout their departments. They examine long-term and medium-term planning, and ensure that appropriate teaching strategies are used.
8.3 Subject leaders also have responsibility for monitoring the way in which resources are stored and managed.
This policy is to be reviewed annually.
Reviewed: January 2011
